| Overview : Addendum Reference to the DATA sheet DS No. 26, Cross Ref. to instructions C.15.1 Should read: List of Bank References (Name of Bank, Location, Contact Person and Contact Details) Achieving environmentally sustainable cocoa production is a vital element for sustainable development and poverty reduction in Ghana. A baseline study conducted on environment in the cocoa sector in 2011 showed that cocoa production has intensified over the last three decades, resulting in significant forest losses. This has gradually contributed to the fragmentation of forest landscapes, loss of wildlife corridors and forest connectivity, and the degradation of biodiversity, ecosystem goods and services. One of the more prominent consequences of deforestation, which has significantly affected cocoa production, is the significant loss of major soil nutrients, which is now a leading cause of the gradual decline of national cocoa yields. Furthermore, the study showed that the expansion of the cocoa industry and resultant forest loss was driven by the desire to increase national production. Land tenure policy has also been a significant driver in the lack of on-farm investments including adoption of more environmentally sound production practices such as the enhancement of tree stock on farms. |
